Brandy L. Walczak v. Labor Works-Fort Wayne, LLC, d/b/a Labor Works

**What Happened** Brandy Walczak sued her former employer, Labor Works (a staffing agency), claiming the company failed to pay her wages she was owed. The case went to trial court, where the judge dismissed Walczak's lawsuit entirely through summary judgment, meaning the judge decided Labor Works won without a full trial. **What the Court Decided** The appeals court overturned the trial court's decision and sent the case back. However, the appeals court didn't rule on whether Walczak was actually owed money. Instead, they found that the trial court shouldn't have heard the case at all. Under Indiana's Wage Claims Statute, workers must first file their unpaid wage complaints with the state Department of Labor before they can sue in regular court. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling clarifies an important procedural requirement for Indiana workers seeking unpaid wages. Before filing a lawsuit against an employer for wage theft, workers must first go through the Department of Labor's process. While this adds an extra step, it also means workers have a specific government agency designed to help them recover unpaid wages, which may be faster and less expensive than court.